Kevin Burton Smith (kvnsmith@colba.net)
Sat, 27 Nov 1999 15:45:05 -0400
At the risk of losing my gentlemanly status, here's my
response to Jason:
>I am also a hard boiled mystery writer and have been
told ad
>nauseum by my agent that I am too hard boiled (as if
that's
>possible), and that I need to
>inject some sensitivity into my main
character.
Gee, don't look now, but (as Mark so rightly puts it), as
tough as they were, there was an undercurrent of sensitivity
in the Op, Spade, Marlowe and most of the others. Maybe it's
time to get a new agent, if this one fails to recognize your
overall wonderfulness.
Have you published anything yet, that we could read? You've
mentioned you're a writer several times, and you've certainly
got me curious...
>The Spenser books are not in my opinion hard boiled.
They are as
>about as close to cozies as
>you can get without actually being one (perish the
thought!).
Have you ever even read a cozy? It seems like thought was
perished long before you even wrote this. The claim is so
preposterous that I wonder if you've ever read a Spenser
novel, either. I thought maybe you didn't understand the
hard-boiled genre, but it looks like you're just as much an
expert in other mystery sub-genres. Which Spenser novel is
almost a cozy? Again, I'm curious....
>I contend that Chandler and Hammet would no doubt
find it very
>difficult to get published
>today as they characters and plots are simply too
politically
>incorrect and lack the
>aforementioned sensitivity as well as conservatism of
writing that
>seems to be dripping in
>Victorian drool.
Please, tell us about these politically incorrect plots. I'm
sure we'd all love examples. Or at least stop labelling
everyone who disagrees with you, or anything you don't like,
as politically correct.
>However, I would like to qualify my remarks above by
saying that I
>can't hold a candle to the
>talent of Robert B. Parker or Sue Grafton for that
matter, but
>inevitably their style of
>writing I think has really taken a lot of the sting
and appeal out
>of the HB genre.
Strange, if they don't write in the hard-boiled genre, as you
contend, that they've done so much damage to the genre, and
to your career. The dirty rats!
>Most people reading this will no doubt strongly
disagree with me,
>but I think it is a
>significant problem for the reader who is looking for
books that are
>more true to the genre.
Hmmm....it seems to me there's no shortage of hard-boiled
books out there to choose from. Mark gave a pretty good list,
and there's plenty more out there.
>I am hard pressed to think of any successful writers
who are writing
>in a real HB style. The
>only one I can think of in recent memory is "The Big
Enchilada" by
>L.A. Morse. It was
>originally published in 1981 and about every ten
years it enjoys a
>reprint. Currently it is
>out of print and at present is the closest work I can
think of in
>tune with the genre as I
>perceive it.
>
>In an email about a month ago I asked if anyone knew
much about
>Morse of any of his other
>books and I only got one response. This is indicative
of the fact
>that my views are shared by
>very few.
Yeah, I guess most people aren't as well-read as you, or as
appreciative as you of the true brilliance of THE BIG
ENCHILADA. A lot of us unenlightened types seem to think
it's, at best, a failed parody or at its worst, merely a
hackneyed piece of crap, offensive in ways that go way beyond
nebulous, meaningless terms like political correctness.
Here's a little excerpt from this "classic":
>Sam Hunter, the so-called P.I. hero rips off a girl's
dress (after
>squeezing her breast--he manfully calls it a "tit"--
until she drops
>a knife). Naked the woman stares at him defiantly,
spitting "like a
>wild animal."
>
>"Now what should I do with you?" I said.
>
>"Eat me, motherfucker. Eat me!"
What sparkling dialogue. I can see why you rate Morse with
Chandler and Hammett. What a master!
As a fiction editor myself (even if it's just for my site), I
get a lot of adolescent wet-dream garbage like this, from
would-be writers who mistake being offensive with being
hard-boiled. They always seem to go for quasi-rape scenes
like the one perpetrated above. In fact, most of their
"experience" with women seems to be gleaned from Penthouse
Forum.
(For the record, I've nothing against any sort of scene, per
se, if it serves the story, and isn't just there so some
disturbed kid in his parent's basement can relate his
favorite wanking fantasy).
I must admit, though, I give Morse the benefit of the doubt,
if only because he'd already proven he understood the genre.
His THE OLD DICK actually is a classic of sorts, dealing with
the problems of old age with a surprising amount of, dare I
say it, sensitivity.
>Many readers may regard my views of HB as dated and
out of touch
>with the present, but I think
>this is an over sight.
No, I'd say you're also out of touch with the past. I doubt
Chandler or Hammett would ever write the type of stuff you
consider hard-boiled. Their heroes were many things, but they
were also gentlemen. Read Chandler's THE SIMPLE ART OF
MURDER, and then tell us about sensitivity. Maybe Carroll
John Daly and Mickey Spillane would be better names for you
to drop. Not much sensitivity there, and what there is is
more locker room sentimentality than anything....
>The use of cliches in a novel is no great sin, but
only if they are
>employed in an uninspiring and boring fashion. The
sign of a great
>writer is the ability is
>to work within the parameters of this great genre and
use cliches as
>mere tools to deliver the
>reader an original novel. It can be done.
Gee, why do I get the feeling someone's told someone their
writing is full of clich鳿
>Okay, I'm done now. Let the criticism
start.
Sure thing. By the way, I somewhat agree that some detectives
have become too sensitive, or soft, but I don't want to
return to the cartoonish likes of Race Williams, either. It's
a balancing act. It is possible to be sensitive and tough, at
the same time.
Real men can do both.
Real women, too.
Kevin Burton Smith The Thrilling Detective Web Site http://www.colba.net/~kvnsmith/thrillingdetective/
IT'S OFFICIAL! November is still Dashiell Hammett Month.
Don't play the sap for anyone.
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